Celebrating
YEARS
Bishop Rene H. Gracida visits with Pope John Paul II. Archive photo
Sacrament Chapel. Cardinal John O’Connor of New York spoke at the “Celebration for Life Dinner” in 1994 and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia addressed the 1995 Red Mass. The next month, Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, addressed clergy conference on dealing with abortion at the parish level. In 1994,
Sarita Kenedy East.
at the bishop’s invitation, Catholic scholars held their annual fellowship convention in Corpus Christi. The bishop used his column in the newspaper, “Entre Nosotros”, to keep the faithful informed of his initiatives. These included topics such as possession and exorcism; aids and condoms; racism and abortion; withdrawing nutrition; and divorced and remarried. In an eight-page piece, entitled “The persistent prejudice: The truth about the Sarita K. East Estate," Bishop Gracida gave a comprehensive account about litigation that had entangled the diocese for 25-years. The litigation came to an end several months later when the courts dismissed claims that were adverse to the diocese. The year 1987 opened with an emphasis on the implementation of a new immigration law. Bishop Gracida encouraged assisting “aliens” and the family was the focus of National Migration Week events. Catholics were urged
not to blame immigrants and that migration offered an opportunity for Catholics to shape society. The South Texas Catholic featured several articles on “life working in the fields." Teams were organized to minister to migrant farmworkers. The bishop annually visited with farmworker families just before beginning their trek north and bestowed a blessing on them. In February, Synod 88 convened for planning meetings with several hundred in attendance. Synod planning continued for months with delegates discussing synodal documents at regional meetings. Finally, in April 1988, Synod 88 got underway at the Bayfront Plaza, looking at the topics of Catholic education, religious education, evangelization, ecumenism and interfaith matters, laity, permanent deacons, social justice, liturgy, communications, the parish, the diocese, spiritual life, religious (consecrated life), priests, marriage and family, and youth and young
MAY 2016 | SPECIAL 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION 37